Prime Minister O'Neill wants probe into Namah’s election spending
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| PNG Prime Minister wants Opposition leader investigated. |
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| Namah betrayed by MPs despite he spent K50m for their polls. |
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has called on responsible authorities to investigate the K50 million spent on the 2012 General Elections by PNG Party and Opposition Leader Belden Namah.
Mr O’Neill raised concerns in relation to accountability on the part of the Leader of the Opposition who claimed that he spent K50 million helping members of parliament be elected.
He was responding to reports yesterday about Namah claiming that he had spent well over K50 million in campaigning for 91 candidates for PNG Party in the 2012 general elections.
"In respect of the K50 million he says that he spent helping members of parliament get elected, I am hoping that a proper authorities like the Ombudsman Commission should investigate where did he get that K50 million," said O’Neill.
"He did not have a substantial business until very recently. He did not have long number of years in business where he can have that kind of funds available to him so he can disperse it as carelessly and freely as he has done.
"We want to know whether he has declared all of this income, whether he has paid taxes for this income that he has been out there distributing around the country."
Mr O’Neill said regardless of the amount of money the Opposition Leader claimed to have spent, the people of Papua New Guinea proved that they will not be misled.
"Despite spending record amounts of money the people of Papua New Guinea have spoken, they returned him and his party with only six members," the PM said.
"That is a clear rejection to me. I hope he understands that the people have spoken."
Mr O’Neill instead suggested that the Opposition Leader should work with the Government to strengthen national policy instead of engaging with people outside the parliament to destabilise the government.
"He should work with the government that gave the mandate to the PNC party to lead this country for the next five years," the Prime Minister said.
"They will judge us in 2017. So the more destabilising activities that he is trying, including using government agencies to try and target myself and other leaders in government, it is not going to work."
Mr O’Neill raised concerns in relation to accountability on the part of the Leader of the Opposition who claimed that he spent K50 million helping members of parliament be elected.
He was responding to reports yesterday about Namah claiming that he had spent well over K50 million in campaigning for 91 candidates for PNG Party in the 2012 general elections.
"In respect of the K50 million he says that he spent helping members of parliament get elected, I am hoping that a proper authorities like the Ombudsman Commission should investigate where did he get that K50 million," said O’Neill.
"He did not have a substantial business until very recently. He did not have long number of years in business where he can have that kind of funds available to him so he can disperse it as carelessly and freely as he has done.
"We want to know whether he has declared all of this income, whether he has paid taxes for this income that he has been out there distributing around the country."
Mr O’Neill said regardless of the amount of money the Opposition Leader claimed to have spent, the people of Papua New Guinea proved that they will not be misled.
"Despite spending record amounts of money the people of Papua New Guinea have spoken, they returned him and his party with only six members," the PM said.
"That is a clear rejection to me. I hope he understands that the people have spoken."
Mr O’Neill instead suggested that the Opposition Leader should work with the Government to strengthen national policy instead of engaging with people outside the parliament to destabilise the government.
"He should work with the government that gave the mandate to the PNC party to lead this country for the next five years," the Prime Minister said.
"They will judge us in 2017. So the more destabilising activities that he is trying, including using government agencies to try and target myself and other leaders in government, it is not going to work."
PNG Today / Post Courier
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